title: Bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory activities of SCA40: studies in human isolated bronchus, human eosinophils, and in the guinea-pig in vivo.
abstract: There is currently interest in the use of inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE) as potential anti-asthma agents. In this study we examined the effects of SCA40 (6-bromo-8-methylaminoimidazol-[1,2-a] pyrazine-2-carbonitrile), a preferential inhibitor of PDE 3 also endowed with PDE 4 and 5 inhibitory activities, on isolated bronchus and eosinophil functions and in an animal model of asthma. SCA40 (1 nM-0.1 mM) produced concentration-dependent inhibition of spontaneous and stimulated tone of human isolated bronchus and reached a maximal relaxation similar to that of theophylline (3 mM). The potency (-log EC50 values) of SCA40 against spontaneous tone (6.52 +/- 0.10) was greater than against tone raised by equieffective concentrations (approximately 70%) of histamine (5.76 +/- 0.06), leukotriene C4 (5.44 +/- 0.11), and acetylcholine (4.98 +/- 0.09). In the presence of cytochalasin B, the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (FMLP; 0.5 microM) induced leukotriene C4 production in human eosinophils isolated in discontinuous metrizamide gradients. The production of leukotriene C4 was inhibited by SCA40 in a concentration-related fashion (-log IC50 = 6.04 +/- 0.20; n = 6). Rolipram, a selective PDE 4 inhibitor, was also effective (-log IC50 = 7.29 +/- 0.32) but the selective PDE 3 inhibitor SKF94120 was scarcely effective (< 10% inhibition for 10 microM). In ovalbumin sensitized guinea-pigs, SCA40 (1 mg kg(-1), i.p.) given 30 min before antigen challenge significantly inhibited the acute bronchoconstriction produced by aerosol antigen (5 mg ml(-1), 30 s) (antigen response was 185 +/- 13 and 91 +/- 21 cmH2O l(-1) s(-1) in control and SCA40-treated animals, respectively, P < 0.05). Pretreatment with SCA40 (1 mg kg(-1), i.p., 30 min pre- and 3 h post-antigen exposure) prevented airway hyperreactivity to histamine which developed 24 h after exposure of conscious guinea-pigs to aerosol antigen. Eosinophil lung accumulation that accompanied airway hyperreactivity was also inhibited by SCA40 (from 6.15 +/- 0.86 in control to 1.27 +/- 0.27 in treated animals; expressed as eosinophils x 10(6); P < 0.05). SCA40 (1 mg kg(-1), i.p.) also inhibited the microvascular leakage produced after inhaled antigen (5 mg ml(-1), 30 s) at all airway levels. The haemodynamic effects of SCA40 (1 mg kg(-1), i.p.) consisted of a rapid decrease (peak at 5 min) in mean arterial blood pressure (-39.4 +/- 2.4%) and tracheal mucosal blood flow (-13.5 +/- 2.0%) that slowly recovered with time. These data support previous work showing that PDE inhibition results in antispasmogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. SCA40 was effective in vitro and in vivo and these effects are probably related to its activity as a mixed PDE inhibitor.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologìa, Facultad de Medicina y Odontologìa, Universitat de València, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortijo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dasí
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez-Losa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Advenier
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Morcillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000941:Antigens; D001980:Bronchi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017997:Leukotriene C4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009126:Muscle Relaxation; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000941:Antigens; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D011719:Pyrazines; C080660:6-bromo-8-methylaminoimidazo(1,2-a)pyrazine-2-carbonitrile; D017997:Leukotriene C4